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British Columbia Wreck Diving

PictureThe Boeing 737 being sunk in Chemanius.
British Columbia has many artificial and "natural" wrecks to offer divers. As a club we frequently dive the artificial wrecks as they are meticulously prepped and pose little danger to divers as far as entanglement and entrapment hazards.

Many of the artificial wrecks we dive on the Island are well over 100m in length and are almost impossible to see all of in one dive. Common wreck charters we put on include the GB Church, the HMCS Mckenzie, the HMCS Cape Breton and the HMCS Saskatchewan. We also hope to dive the recently sunken HMCS Annapolis just north of Vancouver sometime soon. All of the aforementioned wrecks are in place due to the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC).

 The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia has been sinking ships and even a Boeing 737 airplane since 1989. Established artificial reefs like the HMCS Mckenzie, HMCS Saskatchewan and the 442' HMCS Cape Breton are covered in a sea of plumose anemones and a diverse range of other life. For the more technical oriented divers, there are several cut aways in the ships to allow for easy penetration and exploration. More recently, the HMCS Annapolis was sunk in Howe Sound (Vancouver). The only larger artificial reef outside of BC is the USS Oriskany - an 888' long aircraft carrier in Florida.

For information on wrecks not sunk by the ARSBC visit this link.

The Artificial Reefs We Dive

  • GB Church (Sidney/Victoria)
  • HMCS MacKenzie (Sidney/Victoria)
  • HMCS Saskatchewan (Nanaimo)
  • HMCS Cape Breton (Nanaimo)
  • HMCS Annapolis (North Vancouver)
  • Riv Tow Lion (Nanaimo)

Other Notable Artificial Reefs

  • Boeing 737 (Chemanius)
  • HMCS Chaudiere (Sechelt)
  • HMCS Columbia (Campbell River)


The Other Wrecks We Dive

  • Lord Jim Wreck (Sannich Inlet)
  • Deep Cove Mystery Barge (North Saanich)
  • Swordfish Wreck (Becher Bay - Victoria)

Other Notable Wrecks

  • Diamond Knot (Washington State)
  • Clipper Panther (NE of Salt Spring Island)
  • Wreck of the Malahat (Powell River)
  • Wreck of the Vanlene (Barkley Sound)
As always, if any of these wreck dives interest you, send us an email and we will put a shore dive or charter together!
Picture
The Riv Tow Lion.
Picture
The Vanlene shortly before sinking.
Picture
The Malahat.
Located in Victoria, BC, UVic Scuba works with Vikes Recreation at the University of Victoria to bring you education and excitement in an eco-friendly manner. Email us at: uvicscubaclub@gmail.com